Week 7: Bills vs Titans Preview
The Bills return to Highmark Stadium for their first 1 PM home game since week one, hosting the 1-4 Tennessee Titans. The Titans are coming off a 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts with questions surrounding the quarterback position and whether this may be a few players' last game in a Titans uniform. Will Levis remains the starter, with Mason Rudolph as the backup, and rumors swirl around the future of wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.
The Bills made news Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after their victory over the New York Jets, with their trade for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper. Whether Cooper will play on Sunday hasn't been confirmed, but I bet we will see number 18 debut in front of the home crowd. Alongside Cooper, a handful of injured Bills players look to be returning to the field.
Thursday Injury Reports
3 Bills Players to Watch
Amari Cooper - I don’t think its a hot take to believe Cooper is definitely playing Sunday. He will be the number one player to watch because I want to see what the offense looks like with the addition of a receiver of his caliber, and I also want to see what he looks like with the best quarterback he’s ever had throwing him the ball in his career. I expect Joe Brady has formations and route concepts ready for him that will be easy to implement into the offense for this matchup.
Keon Coleman - I want to see what Joe Brady does with Coleman’s role with the addition of Cooper. Will he move him into the slot in certain formations and take advantage of his size against smaller DBs? I know there is still a lot of debate on Coleman's selection, so here are the numbers entering week seven. Coleman ranks amongst rookie receivers: T-4th in TDs with 2, 6th in yards with 201, T-7th in receptions with 12, 7th in receiving yards per game with 33.5, and 11th in targets with 20. I want to see how Coleman responds this week.
Greg Rousseau - For back-to-back weeks, I am picking Rousseau. The Titans have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, and the right side is the area to attack. Rousseau has been playing well lately but not seeing the sacks or stats to match the play. This week, I expect that will change.
3 Titans Players to Watch
Tony Pollard - Pollard has been one of the lone bright spots for the Titans’ offense this season. Fresh off his best performance of the season with 17 carries, 93 yards, and 1 TD vs. the Colts, I expect a heavy dose of Pollard in Sunday’s matchup. The Bills’ rush defense is middle of the pack, and they gave up some big runs to Breece Hall last week as he broke out from his early-season slump. The return of Ed Oliver should help this week.
Calvin Ridley - Ridley’s career with the Titans is not off to the start he was planning on. Last week’s loss appeared to be a tipping point after being targeted eight times and not having a catch. "It is what it is. I sucked today and gotta be better, but I gotta get the ball a little earlier in the game so I can be in the game and here with the team so I can play well also," he said. I expect Ridley will be a focal point in the offense early on to try to light a spark after last week’s comments. Ridley has nine receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown on the season.
Jarvis Brownlee - Brownlee has been a bright spot in the secondary this year for the Titans. Lining up opposite L'Jarius Sneed, Brownlee has proven to be one of the best CBs in the NFL this season, allowing the fourth fewest yards per catch and the twelfth-best passer rating against. Brownlee may be lining up without Sneed on Sunday, so it will be interesting to see if the Bills decide to avoid throwing his way. If this is the case, Sneed’s backups may be in for a long day.
Matchup of the Game
Bills Offensive Line vs Titans DTs: The Titans' defensive line is better against the run than pass rushing, with only nine sacks on the season. Four of those sacks belong to Harold Landry. The strength of the line is the interior due to the play of rookie T'Vondre Sweat, Jeffery Simmons, and Sebastian Joseph-Day. PFF has all three graded in the top 50 of interior defenders this season, with Sweat and Simmons in the top 25. Sweat was a new addition to Thursday’s injury report, with a knee injury, so his game status will be something to monitor. Simmons is known by Bills fans for his stuff on Josh Allen’s sneak attempt in their 34-31 loss in 2021 to end the game. David Edwards and O'Cyrus Torrence must communicate well with Connor McGovern to ensure they successfully protect Allen and establish the run game.
Prediction: Bills 34 Titans 13
The Bills' defense is entering this game the healthiest it has been since week 1 and will face one of the worst offenses in the NFL. If they slow down or stop the running game and make Levis throw the ball, it will be a long day for the Titans. This is a good opportunity for the Bills to incorporate Amari Cooper into the offense and see what things will look like moving forward with the shifting of other players.
